Apparatus for playing a game of skill



T. KELLY APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A GAME OF SKILL Fi led Feb. r 1936 I THUMB? 3 Plfihurng Patented Aug. 10, 1937 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A GAME OF SKILL Thomas Kelly, Govan, Glasgow, Scotland 3 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for playing a game of skill, of the kind in which a ball or other missile, attached by a resilient connection to a structure, can by stretching the connection and then releasing the missile be caused to pass through an aperture in the structure, and its chief object is to provide a game of this kind which will require considerable skill and will be enthralling, while the apparatus is comparatively simple and inexpensive. In accordance with the present invention such an apparatus comprises a panel having a series of aligned apertures therein, an arm projecting rigidly from said panel in a substantially horizontal direction away from the plane thereof, a resilient filament or cord attached to the projecting part of said arm, and a missile attached to said filament or cord. The length and disposition of the arm, the length and elasticity of the cord and the sizes and ar- 20 rangement of the series of holes is such that a skillful player may, at one operation, cause the missile to pass first through the top hole of the series of holes and then by rebounding action through some or all of the other holes in suc- 25 cession.

The holes may be of different sizes the top 1 hole being the largest and the other holes gradually decreasing in size to the bottom one which is the smallest but of a size sufficient to allow the 30 missile to pass therethrough.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, whereon two apparati in accordance with the present invention are illustrated by way of example:

Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively front and sectional elevations of one apparatus, Fig. 2 being taken on the line IIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the second apparatus.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the reference A denotes an apertured panel of wood or other material, which is mounted on a standard B having an enlarged base part B enabling the panel to stand up- 45 right and stationary. The panel has a single series of closely located circular apertures E whose centres are all on the same vertical line on the panel and whose diameters diminish pror gressively from the topmost aperture down to the bottom one. If desired, however, the apertures may all be of the same diameter. At the top of the panel A, and on the same vertical line as the centres of the apertures E, there is secured a short arm, for example of wood or metal, C which projects substantially normal to the plane of the panel. At or adjacent the projecting end of said arm C an eye D is located (or an eye may be cut in the arm), and to this eye is secured by means of a clasp F an elastic or rubber cord or filament G, and a missile H, comprising a solid or hollow rubber, or other, ball, which is fixed to the free end of said cord or filament G by adhesive solution or by tying or in like manner.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 3 is similar to that just described except that the base 28 is replaced by a handle J at the foot of the panel, enabling the apparatus to be held by hand.

To play the game, the player takes the missile H in one hand and pulls it away from the apparatus, which is held stationary, and so tensions the elastic filament or cord G so that when the missile is properly aimed at the top aperture and released it may be caused to pass through it and then, on rebound, through some or all of the remaining apertures in succession from alternate sides of the panel, the filament or cord being sufficiently long for this purpose. As will be seen at Fig. 2 the cord G is threaded from side to side through the apertures.

When the missile has been tensioned and is released the movement is governed by the com- I bined tension of the cord and the pendulous oscillation of the cord and missile about the pivot at D. The length of the projecting arm C is adjusted in practice, depending upon the size and location of the apertures E, so that when the missile is properly aimed and passes through the topmost aperture the top edge of that aperture stops the cord at such an angle as to cause a reaction which will cause the missile on its return movement to rebound angularly back through the second aperture, and so on backwards and forwards through the others. If the arm C be too long or too short the reaction caused at the top edge of the top aperture may be in an entirely unsuitable direction, for eX- ample, in too vertical a position, and make it practically impossible for the missile to pass through the second aperture on the return stroke. Moreover the arm enables the missile to be held at a lower level to obtain a suitable reaction, which is advantageous if the panel is of considerable height, for example, 5 feet.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for playing a game of skill by stretching a resilient filament or cord to which a missile is attached and then aiming the missile so that when released it will rebound through an aperture in a structure, the apparatus comprising a panel having an aligned series of apertures therein, an arm projecting forwards substantially at right angles to the panel and being fixedly secured thereto above the top aperture in the series and in a plane passing centrally through said series of apertures, a resilient filament or cord attached to said arm and a missile attached to said filament or cord, the relationship between said arm and aperture enabling the missile to be projected under the combined action of the resiliency of the cord and the gravity of the missile through some or all oi said apertures one after the other in succession, the missile in its passage through the apertures rebounding angularly from side to side of the panel.

2. Apparatus for playing a game of skill by.

in'which the apertures are arranged one above the other, an arm fixed above the topmost aperture of said series and projecting forward substantially normal to the panel, a resilient cord attached to said arm and a missile attached to said cord, said cord being sufliciently long to enable said missile to be passed at one time through all of the apertures in the panel in succession from alternate sides of the panel, said arm being so disposed relative to the panel as to enable this to be done by skillfully aiming and projecting said missile.

3. Apparatus for playing a game of skill by stretching a resilient filament or cord to which a missile is attached and then aiming the missile so that when released it will rebound through an aperture in a structure, the apparatus comprising a panel having a series of apertures therein, said series consisting of at least four apertures in close vertical alignment, an arm fixed rigidly to said panel centrally above the topmost aperture of said series and projecting substantially normal to the panel, a resilient cord attached to the projecting part of said arm, and a missile on the end of said cord the length of the cord being such that the-missile can be threaded at one time through all said apertures in succession from al- 

